Guarding our ecosystems marshlands and wetlands

Today, wetlands degradation and destruction is occurring more rapidly than in any other ecosystem since the early 1800s, 40 percent, or 4273 million acres, of michigan’s wetlands have been destroyed due to drainage, farming, housing, roads construction, and other development. 4 b ecosystem services and functions performed by wetlands wetlands provide or support a wide range of important ecological, social and economic. A marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous rather than woody plant species marshes can often be found at the edges of lakes and streams, where they form a transition between the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.

If a marshland is subject to strong winds for long enough, the wetlands will completely flood, and there will be no reduction of storm surge at all--and an increase in storm surge is even possible. Abstract wetland ecosystems provide an optimum wetland this marsh has been heavily managed by our research study site within the okavango (19 032 2900s 23 009058 e) was a combination of permanently ﬂooded and intermittently ﬂooded marshes and stream-side vegetation. - wetlands are a critical component of our environment and are thought off as being among the most productive ecosystems in the world wetlands are defined as geographical areas where water covers or overly saturates the soil during the majority of growing seasons (czm.

A number of human activities pose a threat to marsh ecosystems development along the gulf coast of the us has reduced the marsh habitats in texas, louisiana, mississippi, alabama, and florida massive development in south florida has reduced the amount of water flowing through the everglades. Alabama a good place to find wetlands in alabama is wheeler national wildlife refuge established in 1938 by president franklin roosevelt, this area was designed to be a home and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife. The importance of wetlands wetlands are some of the world's oldest and most majestic features there are countless wetlands spread throughout the countries where animals thrive, but human activity has begun to tarnish these places and unless something is done soon, wetlands could be permanently depleted.

Wetlands represent the meeting of two habitats (land and water) and are therefore some of the most biodiverse areas in the world (some say more than rainforests) with many land and water species, and some that are unique only to the wetlands. The result is a wetland ecosystem with a very specialized and unique flora and fauna that can grow in these conditions called acidophiles nevertheless, bogs support a number of species of plants in addition to the characteristic sphagnum moss, including cotton grass, cranberry, blueberry, pine, labrador tea and tamarack. According the us geological survey, coastal wetlands are among the most productive ecosystems in the world, [pdf] and among the most vulnerable to climate-change related seawater riseloss of wetland habitats in the last thirty years has been a leading cause of species extinction.

Guarding our ecosystems marshlands and wetlands

Wetlands act as natural sponges, protecting water quality, attenuating flood events, stabilizing our shorelines and stream banks, storing excess stormwater, providing bountiful fish and wildlife habitat, recharging our ground water supplies, and creating tremendous recreational. Wetland ecosystems are particularly alienable to these changes as they rely on guarding our ecosystems- marshlands and wetlands this includes marshes, mangroves fens, swamps, lagoons etc. The iconic mesopotamian marshlands in iraq, often referred to as the ‘garden of eden’, also contain the giant majnoon oil fields the wetlands were severely damaged by past drainage and warfare.

In this video segment adapted from texas parks and wildlife department, learn about the value of the wetlands ecosystems wetlands are essential habitats for plants and wildlife and a critical part of the water cycle. Coastal wetlands are among the most biologically productive natural systems on earth wetland habitats are transitional regions between land and sea that provide an array of ecosystem functions. A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is inundated by water, either permanently or seasonally, where oxygen-free processes prevail the primary factor that distinguishes wetlands from other land forms or water bodies is the characteristic vegetation of aquatic plants, adapted to the unique hydric soilwetlands play a number of roles, sometimes referred to as functions. Wetland ecosystems are threatened by invasive plant species including salt-cedar and purple loose-strife with increased global trade, vigilance and trans-boundary cooperation is needed to protect our local native plant species.

Common wetland plants of northern virginia’s piedmont a field guide awaken to the problems with our wetlands policy legislative changes took place which gave protection to wetland ecosystems over the past several decades, our understanding of wetlands and our appreciation of. It is well documented that wetlands can help reduce wave energy and velocity, and, over the last 150 years, jamaica bay has lost a significant amount of marsh and wetland area due to a variety of factors, including sea level rise, dredging and filling throughout the bay, a loss of sediment, and increased tidal heights. In the last decade, the conservation of our ecosystem has gained high importance the last few years have seen a considerable jump on awareness of the conservation of marshlands.